Alright, let’s talk about this James Scott Davidson golf thing I’ve been messing around with lately. Heard the name floating around, some guys at the club were mentioning it. Sounded like another one of those ‘magic fixes’ everyone’s always chasing, you know? But hey, my game wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire, so I figured, what the heck, might as well see what it’s about.
So, I started digging a bit. Wasn’t a ton of super clear stuff right away, more like snippets here and there, talk about tempo and a specific kind of wrist action, I think? Seemed a bit complicated just reading about it. Decided the only way to really figure it out was to get out there and swing the club.
Hitting the Range – First Tries
First session was, well, pretty rough. Went down to the range with a bucket of balls and this vague idea of what Davidson was supposed to be about. I tried focusing on keeping things smooth, like some suggested. Felt super weird. Like I was trying to swing in slow motion underwater or something. The ball? Oh, it went everywhere but straight. Lots of fat shots, thin shots, couple of shanks just for good measure. Honestly felt a bit stupid standing there.
I stuck with it for maybe half the bucket, then just got frustrated and went back to my old swing just to hit a few decent ones and not leave feeling totally defeated. It’s tough changing things you’ve done for years, you know? Muscle memory is a real pain sometimes.
Getting Serious (Sort Of)
Didn’t give up though. Went back a few days later. This time, I tried to focus on just one piece I thought was part of this Davidson approach – maybe it was about keeping the clubface square longer through impact? Hard to pin down sometimes. Anyway, I did drills:
- Slow motion swings: Really trying to feel each part, exaggerating that ‘quiet hands’ thing I read someone associate with him.
- Half swings: Just focusing on the impact zone, trying to replicate that feeling.
- Hitting off a low tee: Forced me to sweep the ball, not hit down so much, which seemed kinda related.
Spent a good hour just doing that. Still wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But… there were moments. Maybe one out of ten shots felt different. Purer. Like the ball just compressed better against the face. That little bit of positive feedback is what keeps you going, right?
Seeing Some Change
Been at this on and off for a few weeks now. It’s not like I suddenly dropped ten strokes. But my ball striking is getting more consistent, especially with the irons. That feeling of a pure strike is happening more often. It’s less effort, too, which is nice. My old swing felt like I was trying to kill the ball; this feels more like guiding it.
The biggest change? Probably tempo. Focusing on whatever principles Davidson supposedly teaches really made me slow down my backswing and transition. Everything feels more connected now, less like a bunch of random parts flailing around. It’s still a work in progress, mind you. Under pressure on the course? Sometimes the old habits creep back in. But when I stick to it, the results are definitely better than they were before.
So yeah, that’s my journey with the James Scott Davidson ideas so far. Still grinding, still trying to make it second nature. It wasn’t an overnight fix, nothing ever is in golf, is it? But it’s been an interesting process, and I’m actually seeing some real improvement, which is more than I can say for a lot of other tips I’ve tried over the years.
